>I'm thinking a tank large enough to cycle 4 of the largest components at one time would be 30"-L X 24"-W X 40"-D.

I'd say 24" by 20" by 24" (deep) will work fine to hold three deeps (one on end in the middle).

>Of that I'm factoring in a foot of free board for foaming.

4" will do. A foot is far more than you need, but if you want to allow a foot, then you'd need to make it 36" deep. 30" would be plenty...

> I was going to build it out of 1/4" plate and fit the rig with heavy duty casters for mobility.

1/4" is more than you need. 1/8" would do. You do need a VERY good joint, of course as it has to hold liquid wax...

Michael I tend to over-build everything. Once it's assembled it won't matter much. I need a line on the raw materials. The proper wax and rosin.I checked out the matetial on your site, your comments seem positive.

I also hate painting and would rather spend an evening dipping 10 supers than painting them only to have the paint chip, peel or have the wood rot out under the paint. This is not the best, but it can get you into wax dipping for the small beekeeper for less money, just takes more of your time. You can do only one side at a time...2 mediums or 1 deep at a time.

The pan is available through any commercial food service supply house ..about $150. (it will cover 4 burners so it is about the size of a normal home stove top). http://www.webstaurantstore.com/vollrath-wear-ever-68391-heavy-duty-aluminum-roast-pan/92268391.html 15 to 20 pounds of wax/rosin is all that is needed to fill the pan deep enough to cover one side at a time. I have a commercial kitchen so I can work under a hood. Once heated one burner keeps the wax hot enough without over heating. It could easily be set up outside with a propane burner like you use for a turkey fryer. You would obviously need a good solid base for the pan to rest on.

why wouldn't you dip before you assemble the box, and just space the boards out on a rack? then simply make up a metal box either long or tall enough for the wood to sit in to do multiple boxes at once?

why wouldn't you dip before you assemble the box, and just space the boards out on a rack? then simply make up a metal box either long or tall enough for the wood to sit in to do multiple boxes at once?

why wouldn't you dip before you assemble the box, and just space the boards out on a rack? then simply make up a metal box either long or tall enough for the wood to sit in to do multiple boxes at once?

Michael Bush"heated to between 230 and 250 F. At 250 the boxes cook nicely (like deep fat frying them) in about six to eight minutes. At 230, they take more like 10 to 12 minutes."http://www.bushfarms.com/beesdipping.htm

I say if your glue will not stand up to this heat. :roll:

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

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"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may remember,involve me and I'll understand" Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways." John F. KennedyFranklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Jim, I thought he was talking about waxing the components before assembly. I guess I shouldn't have answered so bluntly. I honestly have never tried to wax then glue. I rationalized that if the purpose of the wax is to seal the wood fibers against moisture and the purpose of the glue is to penetrate the wood fiber to create a bond. So, the wax would prevent the glue from doing what it has to do so:

If you assembly first (with glue) and then dip in hot wax you will melt the glue out. If you dip in hot wax unassembled glue will not stick to it the either will paint.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

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"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may remember,involve me and I'll understand" Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways." John F. KennedyFranklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

I wonder if one couldn't just make a tank out of sheet metal in the shape of like a figure eight, 10" tall that would hold two deeps? this would save on having to fill them so much, surely right, since the middle would be empty? or what about simply putting in solid bricks in a larger square tank to take up the middle space? I seen a video where someone dips their box boards in this green stuff. (copper napalate with diesel fuel) Beekeeping,Treating wood Beehive boxes,tops,bottoms.Beekeepers Bee hives preservation wood rot stop

Just received a quote from the above company for Brazilian gum rosin. They are located in NY. Came in at $1.75/lb for 250lbs. I'd save $500.00 over Just Rosin who charges $3.75/lb and is located on the west coast. Who knows how much I would save in shipping cost.

Sry i did'nt take the time to read all of the post so this may have been mentioned... You said you use oil base at the present time. Oil base paints are not made for exterior applications as the properties of oil promote mold and fungus growth in an exterior enviroment. There are a few latex paints on the market that will give the same shell like apperance as an oil base. I use plain old Gripper Primer from Home Depot and apply it with a Paint sprayer. Never had enough boxes in front of me to give you a hive body per hour, (lol) but i know i could prime every wall and ceiling in a 2600 sq. ft. house before lunch on a bad day.... If you have that many hive bodies and parts, then by time you got finished with the first coat you could move right on to the second... Good luck on whatever route you go

>why wouldn't you dip before you assemble the box, and just space the boards out on a rack?

I tried it and it was more trouble that it was worth. I'm not saying you couldn't come up with a practical method, but when I bound them together the wax didn't flow between, and when I tried to bundle them with spacers it was very difficult to pull off. It was easier to just nail them together and then dip them...

Less than 1 ppm of Cu is added to honey and wax using the Cu preservative. The paper does caution on using fuel oil as the diluting agent, as it does migrate into the hive. Paper is older (in that Penta and other bad things were still on the market), but appears to be very responsibly researched.

I used to make wooden decks for folks out of redwood but couldn't guarantee them. Redwood rots just as quick as pine down here. Cedar's a bit better but not by much.

Scott

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Less than 1 ppm of Cu is added to honey and wax using the Cu preservative. The paper does caution on using fuel oil as the diluting agent, as it does migrate into the hive. Paper is older (in that Penta and other bad things were still on the market), but appears to be very responsibly researched.

ya from the article: "Few, if any, adverse findings resulted from treatmentsof beehives with (1) a preservative-free water-repellentsolution, (2) copper naphthenate, (3) copper 8-quinolinolate, and (4) ACC. Winter survival with thesetreatments was better than or comparable to that in controls. Of these four treatments, only copper naphthenategave a slight increase in copper content of honey (less than1 ppm)"